The Numbers

From my walk last night at our local state park, things I saw.
Deer: 1
Large turtles swimming in river: 1
Big ol' carp: 2
Shoes stuck in mud near river: 2
Great Blue Heron: 2
Screaming joggers: 2

That last one is the interesting one. I was walking along enjoying the quiet and solitude on the river path when I heard a few screams behind me. They didn't sound like someone was dying - more like two kids playing around. They kept getting closer, though, so I had to pay attention to it. Soon two joggers came into view - both women. One got to me first and I saw that she was swatting and squealing at something near her. I saw nothing.

"Should I start running now? Are we being followed by something invisible and terrible?" I asked jokingly as she got near me.

"These bugs are following us!" she said, still running past me. That's when I saw a large flying insect following her. A hornet. Yeesh.

They weren't sure why, but they ended up having a couple hornets join them for their jog. I was more concerned that the women stay the heck away from me so that the hornets wouldn't leave them and choose me as a slower and easier target. I didn't feel like joining the women for their run. I'm sure that sight would've been great - the three of us running and flailing and screaming down the path.

The hornets had not been stinging them, thankfully, and when the other jogger got to me (the first one ran on by with a visible hornet following her) she said she'd been finally able to slap her assailant to the ground. But then she kept running to go help her cohort.

Truly bizarre. I came upon the joggers later on, and they were still slightly freaked out but thankful that they'd seemed to have shaken their followers by then. So much for a nice evening jog for them.

In others news, you'll all be happy to hear that the idiot druggie neighbors have finally been evicted. I came home Thursday and saw all their stuff piled out in front of their house. I was happy at first, but then I felt bad for being happy. I mean, kicking people out of their house isn't great. But then again - they're the ones making bad choices and getting themselves into that situation in the first place. Can't say I'm sad at all to see them go. I feel bad for those who have to clean the house out. There are trash bags all over the back yard and all their furniture is still out front.

I'm glad they're gone before July 4th. I wasn't looking forward to seeing what kind of insane firework display they'd start in their own backyard.